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Synonyms

rainfall

American  
[reyn-fawl] / ˈreɪnˌfɔl /

noun

  1. a fall or shower of rain.

  2. the amount of water falling in rain, snow, etc., within a given time and area, usually expressed as a hypothetical depth of coverage.

    a rainfall of 70 inches a year.
rainfall British  
/ ˈreɪnˌfɔːl /

noun

  1. precipitation in the form of raindrops

  2. meteorol the amount of precipitation in a specified place and time

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
rainfall Scientific  
/ rān′fôl′ /

  1. The quantity of water, usually expressed in millimeters or inches, that is precipitated in liquid form in a specified area and time interval. Rainfall is often considered to include solid precipitation such as snow, hail, and sleet as well.

Etymology

Origin of rainfall

First recorded in 1840–50; rain + fall

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Apart from a moraine collapsing, an avalanche or an unusual amount of rainfall can destabilize a lake.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The category four system was forecast to bring "destructive wind gusts and heavy rainfall" to some coastal areas, the bureau said.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Across Europe, forests gave way to tundra, and rainfall patterns in lower latitudes shifted southward.

From Science Daily • Mar. 20, 2026

He cautions that the recent rainfall could be off-season rains, which may not last, and in any case would take some time before they made any difference.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Seasonal changes of day length, temperature, and rainfall constitute signals that stimulate seeds to germinate, seedlings to grow, and mature plants to develop flowers, seeds, and fruit.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.